“But they’ll realise pretty quickly that they’re being targeted,” said David. “The others will then hide. We won’t be able to get to them.”
“Yes,” allowed Sam. “But you know from past experiences how we reach people we can’t physically get to.”
“We get them to come to us,” said David.
“Exactly. One of the things that ticks me off most about all this is that I don’t know when the attack is going to happen. If Luther’s estimation is correct, we have at least two more nights before they arrive. I don’t want to rely on that. I say we take control of this. I say we taunt The Order into striking while we’re ready and waiting.”
Ava tucked her hands in the pockets of her jeans. “I can’t believe The Hollow’s going to be attacked again.”
“It won’t be,” said Sam.
Ava blinked. “Say what?”
“We know what direction the drove will come from,” Sam pointed out. “There’s another off-the-map island in that direction. We’ll wait for them there.”
“And they’ll crash into Butch’s shield when they do.” Ava rubbed her hands together. “We’ll take the war to them.”
“It’s our best chance of keeping The Hollow and its residents safe.” Sam rose to her feet. “Get a good day’s sleep, people. At dusk, the legion will be sent out in threes to pick off as many members of The Order as they can. The rest of us will go to the neighbouring island and familiarise ourselves with it.” She looked at me and Imani. “Before you two go and wind down, let’s find out who tried to kill Imani, shall we?”
“Ryder’s done with the suspects?” I asked.
“He should be by now,” replied Sam. “Jared and I just need to have a quick chat with Antonio. Then we’ll meet you at the entrance of the containment cells.”
“Who gets to kill the fucker responsible?” Paige’s tone said she’d be happy to do it.
Hell, no. “Who do you think?” She smartly didn’t fight me for the pleasure. In my eyes, she’d redeemed herself just a little by tackling—literally—a female Pagori for bragging that she’d had me before Imani and could easily have me again. Paige and the rest of Imani’s squad had also fiercely defended me against anyone who had doubts about my commitment to Imani.
“Ooh, can we watch?” begged Ava, eyes wide with excitement.
Smiling, Sam snorted. “No. Go play with Salem.”
Tugging on my hand, Imani got to her feet. “Come on. I’m ready.” And eager, going by the gleam in her eyes, to finally have the truth.
Leaving the conference room, we took the elevator to the ground floor of the building. Then we descended the spiral staircase that led to the cells, where we found a pale Ryder sitting on the bottom step.
“Hey, you okay?” Imani asked him.
Strain in every line of his face, Ryder forced a smile for her. “I will be once I’ve had some sleep. Man, I’m wiped after that. I hope I don’t look as bad as I feel.”
I decided not to tell him that, yeah, I was pretty sure he did. “You done with them?”
Ryder puffed out a breath. “Yes.”
“So you managed to get into Juliet’s mind?”
“Yes, Salem used his gift to put her unconscious,” said Ryder. “It stopped her from hurting me, but it also meant it took a while to scan her thoughts. It’s harder to read the minds of unconscious people. You can’t ask them to hold an image in their mind to lead you to the info you’re looking for.”
At our ‘I don’t get it’ expressions, he went on, “Minds aren’t easy to navigate. There aren’t separate compartments for memories, thoughts, personal details, etc. A mind is more like a road map. You have to get on the right road if you want to find what you’re looking for. A mental snapshot of a person or event is like a red cross on a map. It shows me which road to go down.”
“So, who was it?” I pressed, impatient. “Who hurt Imani?”
Ryder sighed. “None of them.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “You’re fucking kidding me,” I rumbled.
His expression said that he wished he was. “Tait hates Imani enough to kill her, but she fears Marco too much to attempt it. Juliet…she doesn’t care enough about Imani’s existence to be bothered whether she lives or dies. And Marco, well…let’s just say he wouldn’t do it.”
“You mean he’s too obsessed with her.”
Ryder’s mouth twisted. “Pretty much, yeah.”
Pacing, Imani bit her lower lip. “Do any of them know who did it?”
“Juliet thinks it was Tait, and Tait thinks it was Juliet. Marco believes he knows who it is, but he guarded that thought from me.”
I frowned. “Guarded it?”
Ryder nodded. “It was smart how he did it. He visualised a brick wall between me and the answer. That blocked the road on my map.”
Just then, Sam and Jared appeared at our side. “You look like crap,” Sam told Ryder, concerned.
“You’re not going to like what I have to say,” he warned them.
After Ryder repeated what he’d told us, Sam grumbled, “I’m not surprised Marco hid his suspicions. He believes Imani belongs to him, and he thinks he’s her protector. Since her life actually matters to him, he isn’t going to give up the opportunity to get vengeance on whoever harmed her.” She looked at me. “In his place, neither would you.”
She was right about that. “I can’t believe we have to fucking free them,” I growled. “Marco still has every reason to die.”
Jared nodded. “But I made him a deal. I won’t go back on my word, even though I wish I could.” He cast Imani an apologetic look.
My girl quickly assured him, “I wouldn’t expect you to. And to be fair, Marco has already been punished for what he did.”
Fair? Fuck fair. He didn’t deserve to breathe. But I couldn’t ask Jared to break his promise. It would make us both bastards. So, minutes later, we had to free the two smug-looking bunnies and escort them to Marco’s cell.
Ignoring the gasped greetings of his bunnies, he studied our expressions from behind the glass. “Joel gave you the information you needed.”
“Yes,” said Jared.
“Have you come to free me?”
“I gave you my word, didn’t I?”
Marco smiled, probably because Jared sounded pissed about it.
Having unlocked the cell, Sam told him, “Ian will teleport you all home.” The male was currently standing with the bunnies, appearing no happier about their freedom than I was.
Rolling back his shoulders, Marco left the cell. His consorts flung themselves at him, kissing his cheeks and petting his chest, telling them how they’d missed him and never once believed he could be guilty blah, blah, fucking blah. Their words cut off as Imani spoke.
“Who injected me with the serum?”
Marco turned to face her. “What makes you think I know who it was?”
She arched a brow. “Don’t you?”
“In my opinion, it can only be one of two people. I’ll find out which one.”
When he and his consorts moved to Ian, Imani demanded, “What two people, Marco?”
His face softened with what looked like sympathy. “Good people can do bad things sometimes—not just because they have the potential to do bad things like everyone else, but because they’ve found a way to justify it to themselves. Like someone who steals from their sibling, telling themselves it was okay because their sibling owed them in some sense.”
She growled. “What are you getting at?”
“You’re smart, Imani. You’ll work it out. But don’t worry—by then, they’ll be dead.”
At Jared’s nod, Ian teleported the three vampires out of The Hollow.
I rubbed Imani’s back, trying to ease the tension from her body. “He wouldn’t have told you, baby. He wants to be the one to punish them. He might not even know anything—he could be just trying to fuck with your head.”
“I know,” she sighed. “But it’s not his right to punish whoeve
r it was.”
“In his warped mind, it is,” said Jared. “With any luck, we’ll get to them before he does.”
She released a calming breath. “Right now, it isn’t the priority. We have The Order to destroy and dragon shifters to fight.”
Sam patted her arm. “Go home, get some rest. Things are going to be hectic at dusk when we get ready for the invasion.”
Nodding, Imani leaned into me as I slid my arm around her shoulders and began to guide her out of the mansion.
(Imani)
The whole thing was a little like an adrenalin crash. I’d gone down to those cells with anticipation flooding every part of me, thinking I’d finally get my answers; finally get my chance at vengeance. Or, more specifically, I’d stand back while Butch got it on my behalf. I didn’t mind giving him that, because I knew how much he still blamed himself for my being hurt. I thought that if he could get vengeance for me, it might make all that unfounded guilt fizzle away.
When Ryder revealed the three were innocent, the anticipation pouring through me came to an abrupt halt. Then the emotion left me completely. At first, I hadn’t felt anything. Not anger, not a sense of injustice, nothing.
Maybe it was the shock, or maybe I just hadn’t known how to feel. But by the time Marco was leaving his cell, I’d felt my mad coming on. And the bastard hadn’t even shared the names of the people he suspected, like he hadn’t owed me that at the very least.
Closing the apartment door behind us, Butch pulled me against him and pressed a light kiss to my mouth. “I’m sorry you don’t have your answers, baby.”
I curled my arms loosely around his neck. “You don’t have to bottle up your anger, you know.” That was what he was doing in an effort to not feed my own.
“I don’t want to spend the rest of tonight pissed and stewing on things outside of our control.”
“Me neither. And I don’t want to spend it thinking about what’s coming, or about how bad things are going to get. I just want time with you.” He could make me forget.
“I have no issue with that at all.” Sliding his hands in my hair, he kissed me. Hard. Deep. Exactly how I hoped he intended to fuck me in, say, the next two minutes. Still kissing me, he backed me into the bedroom while his skilled hands roamed and teased. Abruptly, he released me and stepped back; his gaze expectant. Knowing what he wanted, I slowly stripped until I was completely naked.
He pulled off his shirt, but he didn’t shed the rest of his clothes. Instead, he circled me. Like a predator circling its prey and admiring the sight. Pausing behind me, he kissed my shoulder. “Perfect. Mine.” With a nip to my earlobe, he walked to stand in front of me. “On your knees.”
My eyes flew to his hands as they tackled his fly. His cock sprang out—long, thick, and full.
“Now, Imani.” His authoritative tone made my stomach clench. I dropped to my knees, and his dark eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
He tapped my cheek with his cock as his hand fisted in my hair. “Open up, baby. Good girl.” His grip on my hair held me still as he fed me inch after inch of his cock. His thrusts were sure, bold, and dominant. The thumb of his free hand traced the curves of my mouth. “Fucking beautiful.”
Sucking harder, I swirled my tongue around him. He growled. So I did it again. Tightening his hold on my hair, he fucked my mouth. Hard. Rough. Inwardly, I smiled. I wanted him to lose control, to let go.
“Swallow it, Imani.” That was the only warning he gave me before he thrust deep and came with a low growl, eyes holding tight to mine.
I’d no sooner let him slip from my mouth than he scooped me up, kissed my forehead, and flung me on the bed. Then his mouth was on me, licking between my folds and stabbing his tongue inside me. He was as good with his mouth as he was with his hands, so I didn’t last long. My back arched as bliss crashed over me, leaving me a shuddering mess.
He crawled onto the bed and draped himself over me, eyes once again glittering with satisfaction. I thought he’d kiss me. Instead, he licked his mouth clean. “Tastes too good to share.”
(Butch)
I wasn’t kidding. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she had the preternatural ability to addict people to the taste and feel of her. But I knew it was just Imani; it was just the affect she had on me. I’d been addicted since the very first night, and I’d craved her from that night onwards. If she had any idea how obsessed I was with her, she’d probably freak.
Slipping one finger inside her, I groaned against her nipple. “Nice and slick for me.” I drew the taut bud into my roof, sucking and biting as I fucked her with my finger.
“Inside me,” she breathed.
Withdrawing my finger, I cupped her ass, tilted her hips just right, and thrust hard. Fuck. Her tight muscles squeezed and contracted around my dick, and a groan slid through my teeth. She was almost too hot. “So fucking good, baby.”
Humming in agreement, she licked my throat.
I rolled onto my back. “Take what you need, Imani.” She didn’t hesitate; she slammed herself up and down on my cock, nails digging into my chest. I met each of her downward thrusts with a punch of my hips, slamming deep in her body. Watching her take my cock inside her, watching her pretty breasts bounce and her eyes glaze over…it was fucking amazing. She was fucking amazing. No one else would ever compare to her.
Knifing up, I wrapped her hair around my fist and yanked her face to mine so I could look right into her eyes when she came. “Fuck me, Imani.” She started riding me again, moaning against my mouth. I slid my free hand between us and found her clit, pressing down with my thumb. Her pace became faster, frantic, and her muscles began to flutter around me. “That’s it; fuck me harder, make us both come.”
Moaning louder, she frantically impaled herself until finally her body clamped down on my cock. I rolled her onto her back and pounded into her as she came hard, biting into my shoulder…and then I fucking exploded.
As she lay beneath me, shaking with aftershocks, I said, “Promise me now while my cock and my come is inside you that if we do ever Bind, you won’t sever our bond.” It worried me that she had that ‘out.’ I could be a total asshole at times. I was pushy and dominant and messed the fuck up. Being with me couldn’t be easy. “Promise me that whatever happens, we ride it out. When I fuck up, you tell me how to fix it and I will. No walking out on me.”
Her head tilted. “I’m such a freaking idiot.”
That wasn’t the response I’d been expecting.
“I should have guessed this would play on your mind. Everyone else walked out on you, including your birth mother. Life has taught you that whenever things get rough, people disappear…and it’s made you believe that you weren’t enough for them to stay. Which is, of course, a load of bullshit. They left because they were fickle, had no staying power, and were such assholes that they would allow you to believe you weren’t good enough.”
I swallowed. “Imani—”
She lightly pressed her hands to my face. “Unless what we have withers away and dies, which I don’t see happening, I’m here for good. I promise.”
Releasing a breath I didn’t realise I’d been holding, I gave a crisp nod.
“You believe me?”
“I know you wouldn’t say something you don’t mean. And I know that if you did, it would be easy to tell, since you can’t lie for—”
“I can so lie.”
“No, baby, you can’t,” I chuckled. “And I love that about you.” I always knew where I stood with her. There was never any need for guessing games.
“You love me?” The question was quiet, almost shy.
“I thought you’d have figured that out by now.”
She play-punched my shoulder. “No girl ever assumes a guy loves her. She has to hear those words to believe it.”
I held her gaze, never wanting her to doubt what I said next. “I love you, Imani. Didn’t think I’d ever say those words to anyone. Didn’t think I had it in me. Not sure I’ll be good at expressing it
, but there it is. I want us to Bind someday, when you’re ready. Why do you look so surprised by that? I told you in the beginning that I want everything that you are.”
“I know. I suppose I just didn’t expect that you’d offer the same in return.” She smiled. “I’ll take this moment to note that you’re a lot better at sharing and being open with me now.” She lifted her head and kissed me. “And I’m glad you love me, because I love you. You’ll struggle to believe that, I know. And even when you do believe it, you’ll have dumb moments where you panic that because I’m mad at you, I don’t feel that way anymore.” She shook her head. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it until you believe it: I’m here for good.”
“I know you are, because you don’t have the option of leaving me.”
She burst out laughing. “See, you make me happy.”
At first, I’d found that hard to believe. But now I saw it clearly. Saw that I’d somehow lived up to my promise. I was now the one who made her smile and laugh. I swore to myself that I’d keep on doing it.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
(Butch)
The island where the battle would take place wasn’t much different from The Hollow; there was the white sandy beach, the thick, vine-covered trees, the waterfalls, the light sea breeze, and the sounds of tropical birds and other exotic wildlife.
We spent hours learning every inch of the island, searching for the best places to lay in wait. Meanwhile, other members of the legion were picking off the vampires that belonged to The Order. A squad had also captured the blogger, Marvin, and placed him in a containment cell. Sam and Jared intended to deal with him at a later date.
One thing that was aggravating everyone was that Mona and Cedric couldn’t find an address for the founder of The Order. In fact, there was no record of Beau Irons ever existing, even as a human. I was more pissed—and, quite frankly, panicking like fuck—about the fact that Imani would be part of the battle.
In Sam’s professional opinion, Imani was fit for battle. In my personal opinion, my girl was barely fit for it. So when I came close to objecting, Sam reminded me that she couldn’t make that decision based on her personal feelings on the matter and, as such, neither could I. Maybe, but I’d still objected, even knowing that Imani would be pissed at me. I’d rather she was pissed than dead.